Fiat to start electrified-only sales imminently in the UK
06 June 2022
Fiat recently completed the electrification of its fleet and is now ending sales of pure petrol and diesel vehicles in the UK, with this measure taking effect from 1 July 2022.
The Stellantis subsidiary will offer all models as either hybrids or electric vehicles (EVs), in a step towards ‘sustainable mobility.’ The UK has seen robust market growth, with the biggest annual increase in EV registrations recorded last year.
Fiat is on a journey towards becoming an EV-only brand. As with other Stellantis marques, the carmaker is betting increasingly on EVs, especially in countries with high adoption rates. Last year, around 60% of Fiat models were electrified, with the company offering at least one low-emission version of each model in the UK.
‘This step in Fiat’s history marks a pivotal point in our commitment to providing affordable and sustainable mobility solutions for all of our customers,’ said Greg Taylor, Fiat and Abarth UK managing director. ‘The move lends itself to our vehicles, which are suited to urban areas, spearheaded by the popularity of the New 500.’
Going all-electric
Fiat’s electrified line-up included the 500 Hybrid and Panda Hybrid, followed by the all-electric New 500. More recently, the brand announced the arrival of the New 500X and Tipo Hybrid. The carmaker’s electric city cars have proven to be bestsellers in 11 countries, coming close to market leader Tesla in some territories.
Fiat said its fully-electric New 500 is the best-selling electric model ever in both Italy and France, with the car being equipped with SAE Level 2 autonomous-driving technologies. It has a range of up to 199 miles (320km), ranking it among the best in the electric city-car segment.
The carmaker wants to make its EVs as appealing as possible to UK customers. Owners of the New 500 EV will be rewarded with cryptocurrency for efficient driving. Fiat recently partnered with sustainable-tech startup, Kiri Technologies, to incentivise consumers to switch to its electric cars. The manufacturer said that New 500 drivers could secure £125 (€147) worth of KiriCoin.
In February, the Stellantis subsidiary announced it had completed the electrification of its line-up. ‘Our journey toward sustainable mobility for all continues, with the aim to launch a new vehicle every year, is starting as soon as in 2023,’ said Olivier Francois, Fiat CEO. ‘Each model will have an electric motor, to achieve a fully-electric line-up from 2027.’
With Europe moving towards electrified mobility, Fiat’s parent company Stellantis aims to only sell battery-electric vehicles in the region by 2030. The group plans to include more than 75 all-electric models in its portfolio by 2030, aiming for global annual all-electric sales to reach five million units by then.
Other Stellantis brands, such as Lancia, have committed to launching only all-electric vehicles from 2026. From 2028, it wants to sell nothing but battery-electric vehicles and completely phase out internal-combustion engine models. The carmaker said it is ready for Europe, initially focusing on a select number of countries for its expansion plans.
